Running to Grow

 I jumped back into running seriously about 7 weeks ago. I have had this crazy goal to run a half-marathon for a few years, but the timing just wasn't right. I kept having babies and training seemed impossible. Well, something changed and now the timing is RIGHT! I have really loved getting out there and just running. Running and thinking!

It's funny how when you put your mind to do something good for yourself, obstacles creep in. It is not easy to get up at 5 AM and hit the pavement. It is not easy to get up at 5 AM and run in the dark when you know there are bad people out there and even bears could be out there! It is not easy to get up at 5 AM and run when suddenly it has become extremely difficult to breathe. 

But, many things that will grow and stretch you are not easy!

I really want this! More than my fear of the dark, bears, bad people. More than that TV show I skip to get to bed early. More than breathing. 

I have been working with doctors to treat what is turning out to be asthma! It is treatable and I am getting better and I am so grateful. 

I WILL accomplish this goal, but more importantly, I am recognizing the growth that is happening to me. To my body AND mind from the inside out! Because at the end of the day, that is what it is all about. The GROWTH! Any outward success I have had is an expression of the growth that is happening internally. 

So, I'm going to keep on running. I'm going to hit my goal. But, more importantly, I am going to grow and be a better human! Because that is what it is all about.

Where do you need to grow? What can I do to help you? 

Whole-Wheat Flour Tortillas

There really is not much better than homemade tortillas. That being said they can be a lot of work. I ALWAYS make extra so I can refrigerate or freeze them. I still haven't gotten the knack of rolling out the tortilla into a pretty, perfect circle, but the family doesn't seem to mind. It is always fun to find ones shaped like hearts, cowboy boots, and puffy clouds! My recipe is adapted from 100 Days of Real Food.

In a mixer, combine 2.5 cups Whole Wheat Flour and 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp baking powder (I also love King Arthur and I did about 3/4 whole wheat and 1/4 all purpose unbleached flour. My family is coming around and I will get to 100% .)

Chill 2.5 Tbsp Coconut Oil and then add by the dollop to the mixer until the mixture resembles course breadcrumbs.

Slowly add 1 cup warm water (microwave for 1 minute prior to use), until dough comes together in a ball. You don't want it too sticky, so be sure to add it slowly. 

Place dough on cutting board and shape into a long log. Cut into 12-14 even pieces. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet and cover with clean, wet dish towel or plastic wrap while they wait to be rolled out.

Sprinkle flour on your work surface. Not too much or you'll have excess and it will burn in the pan. Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough ball and roll out into a tortilla shape. That part doesn't have to be perfect to taste good!

Get your skillet nice and hot and make sure the kitchen vent is on. I even had to open a window. Melt a little coconut oil on your skillet. Use a cast iron skillet if you have one. It is on my wish list!

Once hot, slap that baby on there and cook until you see bubbles. Then flip it over for another 1-3 minutes. Place on a plate and keep warm in microwave. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.  A lot of work, but oh, so worth it!

Almond Milk and Almond Flour

I love when I find out it is EASY to make something at home that you usually buy at the store.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE when I find out it tastes more delicious than anything I have ever bought at the store.
My friend, Steve, and I were talking recently about his love of making almond milk (and flour) at home. He said the only thing I'd need was my blender and a nut milk bag (I purchased mine on Amazon, of course).
Here is the recipe he sent me! This is for blending into smoothies. He still owes me the recipe he uses when he plans to drink it straight up.

1. Soak approximately 14 oz of almonds in filtered water (I used my fridge water) for about 8 hours

2. Strain and rinse almonds.

3. Put almonds in a blender and fill up with filtered water. Blend almonds with the water.
(You will need a really good blender to do this. Steve has a Vitamix. I have a DASH and it did well, but it was rough for a little while. Be careful.)

4. Strain out pulp with your nut milk bag. I squeezed it, kind of like I was milking a cow so I could get every drop I could.

TA-DA! You have made almond milk. Store in an airtight container in your fridge.

For the almond flour, bake the pulp on a pan lined with parchment paper for at least 6 hours (I had to do longer, which makes me think I could have squeeze more liquid out.). Grind in food processor to make flour.

Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa

I first had this deliciousness a few years ago when someone brought us this meal after our daughter was born. We are still making it 3.5 years later and we enjoy it every time. The original recipe comes from www.sarcasticcooking.com  I, of course, tripled it so that we have enough for everyone and leftovers!

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp paprika

1/2 Tbsp salt

1/2 Tbsp pepper

2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 Tbsp onion powder

1/2 Tbsp cumin

olive oil

2 cups low sodium chicken stock and 2 cups water

2 cups quinoa

Juice and zest from one lime (if I don't have this on hand, I skip it and it is still good)

cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste

One avocado

2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

1.  Pat chicken dry.

2. Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and season both sides of each chicken breast. 

3. Add enough olive oil to thinly coat bottom of your pan. Heat about a minute over med/high heat. Add chicken breasts to the pan. Cook about 7 minutes on each side with the lid on.

4. Meanwhile, add chicken stock, water, and quinoa to a pot. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes with lid on, or until all the stock has been absorbed. (Following package directions would suit you well here.)

5. When chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan and let them rest 7 minutes on a paper towel lined plate and tented with foil. Slice chicken.

6. Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl. Toss in lime zest, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Mix to combine.

7. Serve sliced chicken breast on top of quinoa. Top with avocado cream sauce (to make, place flesh of one avocado and Greek yogurt in the blender or food processor and puree until smooth).

Breakfast Sandwich on Steroids

I saw one of those BuzzFeed videos on Facebook for this amazing looking breakfast sandwich. I changed it up a little bit and what occurred was magical!

Ingredients:
2 slices whole wheat sprouted bread (Use circle cookie cutter/child-sized cup to cut a hole in one slice)
1 egg
2-3 slices of turkey bacon
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 tomato, sliced
handful of arugula (or other green leaf)
Slice of favorite cheese (I used cheddar)

Heat pan over medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray. Place bread with hole in pan, crack egg into hole and fry up until egg is cooked to your liking. I prefer over medium, so it ends up a little runny. I gave the toasty center circle to my baby!

Meanwhile, cook remaining slice of bread in the toaster. Once toasted, build sandwich and top with egg in a hole!

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

Poached Salmon with Herb-Dijon Vinaigrette

I ALWAYS love a fast meal to prepare! My America's Test Kitchen Cookbooks are my best friend and we tried out a new recipe last week that I wanted to share. I modified it a little because I don't keep fresh spices in my house. For shame, I know! I also don't have alcohol in the house. Here is my version.  I, of course, doubled this recipe.

Ingredients

1 large lemon, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 TBSP parsley (Double the spices if you have fresh! And reserve their stems.)
1 TBSP dill
1 red onion (or 2 shallots), minced
1 Cup water
4 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets about 1 1/2 inches thick
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP olive oil

Arrange the lemon slices on the bottom of a 12 inch skillet. Scatter parsley and dill (stems if you have fresh, otherwise use about 1/2 a TBSP of each), half of the onion over the lemon slices and add water.

Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lay the salmon skinned side down on top of the lemons. Set the pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the fish flakes apart when gently prodded with a paring knife. About 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer cooked salmon and lemon slices to a paper-towel lined plate, cover with foil, and let drain while finishing the sauce.

Combine the remaining onion, minced parsley, dill, (I added the remaining 1/2 TBSP) honey, and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Return the cooking liquid to a medium-high heat and simmer until it has reduced to 1 TBSP, about 3 to 5 minutes. Strain the reduced cooking liquid into the bowl with the onion-herb mixture, whisk to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Gently transfer the drained salmon to individual plates, discarding the lemon slices. Spoon the vinaigrette over the top and serve.

Macaroni and Cheese

I cannot begin to describe the love I have for macaroni and cheese. When food is associated with a wonderful memory, it is hard to stop eating it. My nana always made macaroni and cheese at holidays. It was so very delicious and my family continues this tradition of having macaroni and cheese at family parties and holidays.

I wanted to try a variation of the Macaroni and Cheese recipe in the FIXATE cookbook. I didn't follow it to the letter, but I did use it to inspire my personal recipe. The results was pretty good and my children went in for seconds and thirds! That's when you know you have a winner.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 box cooked whole grain pasta (penne, elbows, rotini, etc)
Steamed broccoli (I used half a family-sized frozen bag)
Cooked chicken breasts, cut up into bite sized pieces (I poached some chicken tenderloins or you could use a store-bought rotisserie chicken)

For the cheese sauce:
Melt 4 TBSP butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add 3 TBSP whole wheat flour and whisk well.
Slowly add 3 Cups unsweetened plain almond milk, whisking it in (I usually use whole milk, so this was an experiment. The taste was great, but the consistency was more like Alfredo sauce. I will need to try again and see if I need to cook it longer next time.)

Stir often until mixture thickens, comes to a boil. Off the heat, add 1 tsp Sea Salt, 6 shakes of black pepper, 2 shakes of cayenne pepper and stir. Slowly stir in 16 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used the white kind today).
Stir in cooked noodles, chicken, and broccoli and stir to coat and warm through. Serve immediately.

French Onion Soup

I absolutely LOVE soup! Jared doesn't really care for it. But sometimes I like to make a dinner I am really excited about. Next time, though, I'm making this and saving it all for me! The family didn't love it, but I really LOVED it. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I served it with a garden salad. 

French Onion Soup (modified from FIXATE cookbook)

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 medium onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 dash Himalayan salt (or sea salt)

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

6.5 cups low-sodium beef broth

4 slices low-sodium sprouted whole grain bread (or whole wheat bread--No HFCS)

4 Tbsp shredded Parmesan (or Gruyere) cheese

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Add onions, cook, stirring frequently for 8-10 minutes (or until translucent).

3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute (or until tender).

4. Add bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, or until onions are a soft brown color.

5. Add 1/2 cup beef broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; gently boil fro 2-4 minutes (or until almost all liquid is absorbed). Remove bay leaves.

6. Add remaining 6 cups broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and gently boil for 13-15 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to broil.

8. Place bread on a baking sheet, top with cheese, and broil 3-4 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and brown.

9. Evenly ladle soup into four serving bowls and top with bread.

2 Green, 1 Yellow, 1/2 Blue, 1/2 tsp

Bananas Foster

When I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go on a date with my sweet hubbabloo! We enjoyed dessert at the Raintree Cafe in St. Augustine. I had a Bananas Foster Crepe. It was very delicious, and today I was wanting something sweet and bananay to eat. I found this recipe on teambeachbody.com

I didn't have any ripe bananas, so I popped some in the oven at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes. Great hack if you need ripe bananas and have none on hand.

Total Time: 21 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 6 min.
Makes 4 servings, about ⅓ cup each

Ingredients:
2 tsp. raw honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Nonstick cooking spray
2 large ripe bananas, cut into ½-inch slices

Instructions:
1. Combine honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
2. Heat medium nonstick skillet, lightly 
coated with spray, over medium-high heat.
3. Add bananas; cook, gently stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add honey mixture; cook, gently stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bananas are well coated and soft.
5. Serve immediately.

Tip: Use a nonstick coconut spray for additional flavor.